About Me

I was born in Washington D.C. and raised in Laurel, Maryland. I served in the United States Air Force for 20 years then retired. Then God led me to become a pastor.
I was converted to Christ in the summer of 1966.
I enjoy the company of my wife, children and grandchildren. I live with my three cats Hobbs, Taz, and Chloe.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Why Are We Surprised?I was watching TV the other day and saw that the movie "The Golden Compass" is about to be released on DVD. You will remember that the Golden Compass is an anti christian movie where the heroine defeats the "Magisterium" by finding that the key to truth is inside herself the whole time. The movie generated a lot of heat when it was first released. It still does. But let me ask this ... what are we (Christians) surprised that a movie like this has been made?

Dr. Albert Mohler, the President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky reports on his blog that atheists want a church of their own. They want all the trappings of religion without the attendant religion. The atheists are becoming more militant. Why are we surprised?

On every side it seems the church in North America is under assault. Liberalism inside and outside the church attacks us. Doctrines such as the inerrancy of scripture, the Trinity, the penal substitutionary atonement, hell and many others, are either being challenged or denied outright. Even the very relevance of the church itself is being questioned. But again I ask, why are we surprised?

I often find myself reflecting on this passage of scripture ...

"For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written." Romans 2:24.

Why are we surprised when people hold such a low opinion of the church? We should not be. If a person looked objectively at the church today, they would see a mess. Even leaving off the liberal parts of the so called church, the conservative parts are not in any better shape. There is carnality. Sin of all types are reported through the various news outlets. Worship is shallow. Doctrine is derided as being divisive and unloving. Often church is little more than an entertainment show with church members sitting passively which watching an entertainment extravaganza. Rock choruses and laser light shows have replaced expositional preaching. There are even pastors who use every manner of vulgar language in an attempt to be "relational" to lost people. Goats go away having had a good time and the sheep starve to death for lack of biblical food. The end result of all this is that the Lord our God is blasphemed among the lost people because of what they see in Christians today. We are the fulfillment of Paul's criticism in Romans 2.

Beloved, until we become the people of God that God has called us to be, we should not be surprised when we see the church under attack and the forces of secularism and liberalism advancing on every side. I read a quote recently where the speaker said that the number one need of the church today is a rebirth of biblical godliness. One church I was involved with had this motto ... "God's people in God's power doing God's work in God's way." Until we can be that ... we should expect people to hold us in derision.

Read that passage in Romans I quoted above and ask yourself this ... Is God blasphemed among unbelievers because of what they see in you? Or do people look at you and see the truth of the life changing gospel by faith in Jesus Christ written out for them in your life? If you are honest with yourself, which side of the line do you fall on? Whichever side you come down on, ask yourself this ... what is God calling me to do? When you answer that .. then do it.